ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses how a student-run peer-assisted learning programme, designed in accordance with principles from positive psychology and self-determination theory, can help students help themselves to become more resilient and resourceful learners and individuals. It presents the concepts of wellbeing or happiness, resilience and resourcefulness, and how they interact and apply to individuals in education. The chapter explores the LAWPAL model of peer-assisted learning. Peer tutoring is well known to improve academic outcomes, and the LAWPAL model is specifically designed to challenge and extend students by actively fostering autonomy, resourcefulness, competence and relatedness. The focus on student leadership, cognitive and discipline-specific skills, collaboration and self-help and academic enhancement avoids the criticisms raised by disaffected commentators concerning 'therapy' in education. Learners are guided towards finding answers themselves and/or in collaboration with others, enhancing resourcefulness and self-reliance. The programme enables students in leadership roles to achieve a cultural shift in self-concept, to embrace a vision of themselves as teachers and learners concurrently.